


A Cracked Looking Glass

by MegaWallflower



Category: Naruto
Genre: Implied/Referenced Suicide, Introspection, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:22:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28869981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaWallflower/pseuds/MegaWallflower
Summary: Kakashi’s not sure who he really is, but he needs to find an answer, and he’d like to find the right one.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37





	A Cracked Looking Glass

Once, Kakashi had thought he was meant for something special. Not just meant for it, obligated to it.

After his father died, every looked at Kakashi like _he_ was supposed to apologize for it. Like _he_ was supposed to make up for it. They acted like Kakashi himself had been the one standing before them, like Kakashi was the one who had fallen from grace. Like Kakashi was a neutered, declawed White Fang.

And maybe Kakashi had fallen from grace. Maybe he did have to prove himself after that. And when Kakashi did prove it, did say the implicit words it felt like they were all expecting from him, _“I’m nothing like my father. I’m a tool that serves the village. Konoha comes first, no matter what,”_ that pressure eased.

They finally saw him for him.

Whoever that was.

His only idea he had of who “Kakashi” was, who everyone was acknowledging Kakashi as and seeing Kakashi as, was “Not Sakumo. Never Sakumo. Better than Sakumo.”

…“Everyone” wasn’t Guy. It never included Guy. For anything, but especially not for this.

Guy extended an arm of friendship to Kakashi, along with a challenge they knew he couldn’t win. He smiled, and called him Sakumo’s son again. He fought him again and again, and lost and lost and lost. And no matter how many times Kakashi showed him the difference in their strength, Guy still kept getting up and trying again, like he hadn’t gotten what he was looking for out of Kakashi yet.

For some reason, Kakashi relented to that determination.

Maybe it was because Kakashi hadn't been especially strong or special at all. Maybe it was a simple, human curiosity. It definitely wasn’t pity –he didn’t feel sorry for this kid at all. There was probably something a little selfish in their intentions, from both of them.

But whatever way Guy looked at Kakashi, whatever he saw, it was different than what the rest of this village saw in him.

Kakashi wanted to know for himself what Guy saw in him. He wanted to see if it was really there. He wanted to see it for himself.

Whoever Guy saw, that was who Kakashi wanted to be.


End file.
